Success at 'Dangerous' Fant / Gatland Lane Junction

12.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Oct 2008

Lib Dem County Councillor Dan Daley and Lib Dem Campaigner Peter Carroll have received news that substantial works are planned for the junction of Fant Lane and Gatland Lane next year to make the area safer. This announcement follows a well attended demonstration organised by Peter Carroll which featured extensively on the local media and years of lobbying by Cllr Daley and his Lib Dem colleagues on Maidstone Borough Council.

Local Lib campaigner Fran Smith highlighted has pressed for such action for many years. Fran said:

"This is fantastic news and I'm sure this will save lives".

Cllr Daley said:

"Kent County Council has now given definite instructions to Kent Highways engineers to get the situation at the junction where we had the demonstration 'sorted out' in safety terms".

Peter Carroll added:

"This is a great result after a lot of hard work by the Lib Dem councillor team. I'd particularly like to thank local people for supporting our various petitions and our very successful street protest a few weeks ago".

It is believed that the improvements will include:

• A complete reconstruction of the junction of Gatland Lane and realignment of the kerb lines. This would make the end of Gatland Lane a proper T junction and would improve the sight lines coming from Fant Lane round the bend. It would totally eliminate the open nature of the bend and thus prevent the hignspeed 'skating round' that occurs from Fant Lane into Gatland as at present.

• The provision of a pedestrian crossing at the end of Gatland Lane with a safety island

• Speed calming cushions along Fant lane all the way up to Bower Grove School to slow the traffic.

• More and better on road signage such as 'slow' 'bend' etc.

All of this will depend on the proposed improvements passing a 'safety audit' and subject to public consultation.

Cllr Daley said:

"I'd like to thank the staff at Kent County Council for being so flexible and responding to resident's concerns so promptly."